PROCEEDINGS. the Committee, consisting of Judge Bigelow, Mr. Pingree and myself, have prepared a resolution which we now introduce, and the adoption of which we move. Before reading the resolution I beg to state that recently a treaty was adopted between England and France which is very short, and reads thus: The Government of the French Republic, and the Government of H. B. Majesty signatories of the Convention for the pacific settlement of International disputes, concluded at The Hague, July 29, 1899, Considering that by Article 19 of this Convention, the High Contracting Parties reserved to themselves the conclusion of agreements in view of recourse to arbitration in all cases which they judged capable of submission to it, Have authorized the undersigned to agree as follows: ARTICLE I. Differences of a judicial order, or relative to the interpretation of existing treaties between the two Contracting Parties, which may arise and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be submitted to the permanent Court of Arbitration established by the Convention of July 29, 1899, at The Hague, on condition, however, that neither the vital interests, nor the independence or honor of the two Contracting States, nor the interests of any State other than the two Contracting States, are involved. ARTICLE II. In each particular case the High Contracting Parties, before addressing themselves to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, shall sign a special undertaking determining clearly the subject of dispute, the extent of the arbitral powers and the details to be observed in the constitution of the Arbitral Tribunal and the procedure. ARTICLE III. The present arrangement is concluded for a duration of five years from the date of signature. London, October 14, 1903. CAMBON, That treaty was signed on October fourteenth last. It is well known that the bench and bar were largely instru PROCEEDINGS. mental in securing the conclusion and ratification of this treaty, and it appears to me that the bar and the bench of this country ought to advance the movement here for the adoption of a still more advanced treaty than that between France and Great Britain. It is also well known that we had a treaty which provided for a tribunal of adjudication which was submitted to the Senate in 1897 and failed of passage. It had been signed by the Secretary of State and Secretary for Foreign Affairs in England. It is thought by many that if a similar treaty came before the Senate today that such treaty would be adopted, especially in view of the magnificent result of the last arbitration, or rather adjudication, that was submitted to a Court of Adjudication involving the Alaskan boundary dispute. It is not necessary in an Assembly of this sort to say anything in favor of the principle of arbitration and adjudication; therefore, Mr. President, our Committee introduces the following resolution: Resolved, By the members of the Illinois State Bar Association in annual meeting assembled that, sensible as we are, of the many ties of kinship, custom, law, literature and friendship that bind together the two great English speaking nations, cognizant of the happy solution of many serious controversies between different countries by courts of arbitration or adjudication and believing that the peaceful settlement of international disputes makes for the greater progress of civilization and the greater welfare of enlightened peoples, we favor the early conclusion and ratification of a permanent and efficient treaty between the United States of America and Great Britain, embodying the most advanced principles of arbitration and adjudication. Resolved, Further, that a copy of these resolutions together with a note of the action of the Association thereon, be transmitted to each of our Senators in Congress, to the Honorable General Secretaries of the International Law Association and to the Honorable Thomas Barclay, of London. For the information of the Association I also want to add that resolutions to the same general effect have been adopted by many of the Bar Associations of this country and particularly by the bar of the United States, assembled at PROCEEDINGS. Washington, and I believe also in Boston and New York, and that this movement is now in progress and we ought to aid it. I therefore move the adoption of this resolution. The motion was seconded and carried. MR. ORENDORFF: Gentlemen, you remember that the President in his able report made some recommendations, among others that the anniversary of the death of Alexander Hamilton be appropriately commemorated and that this Association be represented at the Congress of the World's Jurists at the St. Louis Fair. In order to carry these recommendations into operation I ask the adoption of the following resolution: Resolved, That the matter of the appropriate commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the death of Alexander Hamilton, and the appointment of delegates to the Universal Congress of Jurists and Lawyers, be referred to the incoming Executive Committee for proper action. I ask the adoption of the resolution. The motion was seconded and carried. PRESIDENT CAPEN: The next is the report of the Committee to secure Action by the next General Assembly on the Report of the Practice Commission. George T. Page, Chair man. MR. PAGE: There has been no meeting of the General Assembly this year. The general election this fall will bring new members into it, at the next session, so that there has been practically nothing done. The Committee recommend the same things they recommended last year, in the report which is printed on page 126 of the last year's proceedings, with this additional suggestion, that the Committee which is to have this matter in charge for the ensuing year should be a committee selected with special reference to its ability to take up these questions before the next Legislature and insure some action upon them by that body. Any sort of Committee will not do; it will have to be a Committee that . PROCEEDINGS. will have some influence there and can go there and stay until something is accomplished. PRESIDENT CAPEN: The report, I think, requires no action. The next is the report of the Committee on Uniform Laws and Negotiable Instruments Law, Mr. Richberg. MR. MATHENY: Mr. Richberg was in attendance yesterday and today until a few minutes ago. In order to take his train he has been compelled to retire. He has left with me the report, which I will read. Report presented as follows: The active duties of this committee are invoked when the General Assembly is in session. The Legislature not having met since the members of this committee were appointed, in 1903, we respectfully refer to the report of this committee as printed in the proceedings of the Association for 1903, which foreshadows the activities of this committee at the meeting of the next General Assembly. It is therefore respectfully recommended that this committee be continued for the ensuing year. Respectfully submitted, JOHN C. RICHBERG. PRESIDENT CAPEN: What shall be done with this report? the Committee continued. The motion was seconded and carried. PRESIDENT CAPEN: The Report of Delegates to the American Bar Association. I believe not one of those delegates is present. Have you any report from them, Mr. Secretary? MR. MATHENY: I have no report. PRESIDENT CAPEN: For the second time in twenty-eight years our Necrologist is unable to be present. He is absent today on account of severe illness. MR. MATHENY: I have a letter from Mrs. Helmer, the daughter of Judge Bradwell. PROCEEDINGS. PRESIDENT CAPEN: Please read the letter. Letter read as follows: Chicago, May 22, 1904. J. H. MATHENY, Esq., Secretary Illinois State Bar Association. MY DEAR MR. MATHENY: My father regrets profoundly that he must forego the pleasure of attending the twenty-eighth meeting of the Illinois State Bar Association at Bloomington. He has been very ill for five weeks and is still confined to his bed. He has been unable on account of his illness to complete his necrologist's report in time for the meeting. Since the founding of the Association he has only been absent from one of the meetings, and that was the winter that my beloved mother died. He sends greetings to you all and his best wishes for a pleasant and profitable meeting. Very truly yours, B. BRADWELL HELMER. MR. ORENDORFF: Mr. President, it seems to me, in view of the long membership of Judge Bradwell, that this communication ought to be placed on file, and that the sympathy and regrets of this Association should be expressed to him through the Secretary. JUDGE HARKER: And hopes for his speedy recovery. second the motion. The motion was carried by unanimous vote. PRESIDENT CAPEN: order. Miscellaneous business is now in MR. MATHENY: Mr. Elmer E. Rogers, of Chicago, has sent me the following resolution and he asks that I read and present it for him. Resolution read as follows: WHEREAS, The execution of the death penalty in the states of New York and Ohio is accomplished by means of electricity; and it ap pearing to penitentiary officials that the substitution of the electric chair for the gallows is preferable, and the scene at executions less revolting to the senses; therefore, be it Resolved, That the Illinois State Bar Association recommends that electrocution be substituted for hanging in the State of Illinois as |